Written by Jody Cecil, our Licensed Professional Counselo
As we turn the corner into May, we find ourselves in graduation season. Children and adults of all ages are making plans to commemorate the end of a journey, whether it’s the completion of kindergarten or college. After months or years of hard work and dedication, the students have finally reached the culmination of their academic journey. It’s time to celebrate . . . and grieve.
During graduation season, campuses are abuzz with excitement and anticipation. Students don their caps and gowns, ready to walk across the stage and receive their diplomas. Families and friends gather to celebrate the achievements of their loved ones, often traveling hundreds of miles to be part of this special moment. This year, I’m personally celebrating the achievements of both of our adult children as they complete their undergraduate and graduate programs.
Graduation season is also a time of transformation and transition. It brings a sense of accomplishment and joy, but also sadness as students prepare to leave behind the familiar environment of their schools and embark on new adventures. It’s a time for reflecting on the past, cherishing memories, and looking forward to the future with hope and determination.
While reflecting on my own experiences of graduation, I began to hum the words of an old but familiar song, written by Pete Seeger and performed by multiple artists including The Byrds in 1965, “Turn! Turn! Turn!”:
To everything, turn, turn, turn There is a season, turn, turn, turn And a time to every purpose under heaven
A time to build up, a time to break down A time to dance, a time to mourn A time to cast away stones A time to gather stones together
The song expresses the reality of a changing, or turning, world in which there is a time and place for everything. Ends mark beginnings. We rejoice and we cry. Graduation is about turning, a change in direction, and with that turning comes a mix of emotions. I’ve been privileged to take part in multiple graduation ceremonies, the last being my own master’s degree in counseling over a decade ago. I can remember the anticipation and excitement as I waited my turn to walk across the stage, receive my diploma, shake hands with a dignitary I barely knew and wave to my family and friends. The grief that followed surprised me. I slowly realized that while I had completed a major milestone, I was also losing a close-knit friendships and the familiarity of an environment and routine. While the days of writing papers and taking exams were over, I was about to start over without the community I had enjoyed for so long.
With all of life, we learn that to be human, to be fully alive, means we hold excitement for the future along with the grief for what we are leaving behind. To turn towards the new means saying goodbye. As we celebrate with friends and family this season, may we all hold space for the celebration as well as the sadness. After all, there is a season for everything. Turn. Turn. Turn.
As a licensed professional counselor, Jody sees clients both virtually and in person at the Flourish Center. She uses a variety of modalities to help her clients in reaching their goals including Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Whatever modality is used, Jody values the uniqueness and strengths of each person and invites them to embrace healing wholistically. If you are interested in counseling, you can contact Jody here, Taking Root Counseling.
It’s finally starting to warm up! The days are longer, brighter, and full of exciting outdoor activities. Whether you’re taking a much-awaited tropical vacation, embarking on a long weekend hike, or just taking your dog out for a stroll around the neighborhood, it’s important to protect your skin from sun damage. But with more and more brands promising to provide the “best” quality sun protection for your money, it can be difficult to pick a product that’s right for you.
To help you get started, here are a few tips and tricks worth considering:
Step One: Look for Green Flag Ingredients and Qualifiers
There are a lot of buzzwords around the perfect skincare–so what really matters? When looking for a high-quality sunblock, you’ll want to grab something broad-spectrum.This means that the product is equipped to protect you from multiple kinds of harmful sun rays. This is important for maintaining the longevity of your skin, as well as preventing sun-damage related diseases like skin cancer.
You will also want to find a product with SPF 30 or higher, the rating recommended by the American Academy of dermatology. SPF, which stands for “Sun Protection Factor,” is a measurement of how effectively a sunscreen is protecting your skin, so it’s important to make sure to keep a high-rating in mind.
If you plan on swimming or frequently perform strenuous exercise, it might also be worth looking for a water-proof sunscreen. This option would help to protect your skin better in cases where other sunscreens may simply wash off or lose effectiveness more quickly. It is important to remember that, even when wearing a waterproof sunscreen, you will need to reapply every 40 to 80 minutes when sweating or swimming.
Step Two: Avoid Red Flag Environmental and Human Toxins
All skin deserves sunscreen, but not all products advertised as sunscreen deserve to be on your skin (or, for that matter, in our oceans). Some common sunscreens in the United States include known human and environmental toxins, including:
Oxybenzone or benzophenone-3
Avobenzone
Homosalate
Octinoxate
Octocrylene
Octisalate
While scientists have a variety of concerns regarding the use and application of these chemicals–including worries about hormone disruption, carcinogenic properties, and environmental destruction–they are still incredibly common on the sunscreen market. By doing your own research into these and other ingredients in your sunscreen, you arm yourself with the knowledge and confidence to make decisions that you feel good about.
Step Three: Mineral VS Chemical
There are two kinds of sunscreen available to us as consumers; mineral and chemical. The formula that’s best for you will depend on your individual skin needs, such as skin sensitivity and skin type. If you have sensitive skin, you may prefer a mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. While effective, this sunscreen is less likely to irritate sensitive skin when compared to a chemical sunscreen.
If you often find yourself disliking your sunscreen because it leaves a white cast on your skin, you may prefer to use a chemical sunscreen. As many of these kinds of sunscreen are clear rather than white, and don’t rely on mineral blockers that add pigment to the formula, you might find that they better suit your skin. Though chemical sunscreen can absolutely be a good option–and may even be more effective than their mineral counterparts at blocking harmful sun damage–it is especially important to be mindful of the ingredients in your product, as many of the toxic chemicals we discussed earlier on are most present in this type of sunscreen (though there are still great choices on the market!).
Step Four: Trial and Error
The truth is, we don’t always get it right on the first try, and it can be hard to navigate all of the ingredients, considerations, and personal skin needs that go into making a decision about sun protection. One way to parse through the products available is to use the Environmental Working Group (EWG)’s list of certified products. Their approved products are carefully screened for environmental toxins, and you can sort out harmful ingredients like human toxins using their handy sorting tool, which allows you to select specific criteria (including cancer risk and allergen concerns) when searching their directory.
With so many incredible and diverse products on the market, there’s no reason to settle for one that you don’t love. Sun protection and healthy skin are worth investing in, so don’t be afraid to test out a couple of different sunscreens until you find your perfect fit. There are plenty of choices out there, each designed to support a different set of skin needs–products with moisturizer, mattifying formulas, sunblocks that double as makeup primers or color correctors. With a little patience, time, and research, you can find a sunscreen that protects your skin and blends seamlessly into your skincare routine–year round!
There are many plant allies coming up in our yards right now. Here are 3 of my favorites:
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
One of the first spring green plants to arrive is dandelion. Yes, those pesky plants that seed so easily and many work very hard to eradicate. They are such a great example of resilience and determination. Dandelions are full of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins A, C, and K and are good sources of calcium, potassium, iron and manganese. They are very bitter, thus they increase bile flow from the liver and gallbladder to help relieve whole body congestion and improve digestion. The leaves can be eaten raw in salads, cooked in olive oil, added to your green smoothie, or made into tea.
Violet (Viola odorata)
Another plant that grows abundantly in this area is violet. Violet leaves are rich in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins A and C. Violet is known to be a blood purifier and cleanser for the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is a network of tissues and organs that rid the body of toxins and wastes. Taking violet after winter may assist the body to cleanse any leftover toxins for a more energetic spring. When harvesting, you can use the whole plant, or just the leaves and the top of the stem. The thin roots are particularly known to be powerful for lymph cleansing. I find them especially helpful for benign lumps and cysts in the breast tissue. Make an infusion of violets by pouring boiling water over the plant material, covering for 30 minutes, and then drinking.
Cleavers (Galium aparine)
In my yard, I also have a plant many consider a another annoying weed, Cleavers. Cleavers have been used historically for the lymphatic system. They are known to drain swollen glands and cleanse the system. They have long been used to treat skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis and as an external poultice for wounds and sores. They have also been used to soothe irritation in the bladder. You’ll know you’ve got the right one when it sticks to your clothes. Cleavers is also taken as an infusion.
Harvesting tips and reminders:
Save the environment and the plants, and don’t spray your yard! Always be sure you are harvesting from a clean and untreated area.
I let my dandelions grow like crazy and use them all season long. In fact, I blow the seeds around my garden. I also let the violets grow and use them as a ground cover around my other herbs.
Please be absolutely sure of the identification of plants before taking them internally.
See your healthcare provider for health issues. This is not mean to be medical advice, simply thoughts about additions to your diet.
Please share this post with your friends so we can all reap the benefits of our spring lawns.
Also be sure to sign-up for the FLOURISH newsletter on the bottom of this page for weekly integrative health and wellness tips.
Written by our Licensed Professional Counselor, Jody Cecil
If you’re new to the process of counseling, you might imagine it looking something like this: the client does most of the talking while the therapist listens. During the session, the therapist might provide insights into your experiences, share advice on how to navigate issues and help you feel and express emotion. Even as you read this, you might recall a scene from a movie or book you’ve recently read.
Counseling or psychotherapy does involve our thoughts, beliefs, behaviors and emotions. But what about the body?
Will you join me in a little experiment? For just a moment, pause. Put everything down and turn your attention to your body. Slow down and notice your breath. Follow it as you breathe in and out. You don’t have to change it or fix it. Simply be curious, much like watching the flow of a river or clouds in the sky. What did you notice? Perhaps you’ve found yourself caught in thoughts, unable to follow your breath. Maybe your chest tightened, and your breathing became more shallow. Perhaps, as you were breathing in and out, you noticed your shoulders drop and there was an openness in your chest.
When I first began my work as a counselor, my focus was primarily on the narrative – what the client was saying and feeling. What I eventually learned was that I was missing a large part of the client’s “story” and an important pathway for change, healing and growth. The body was telling us something; we needed to slow down and pay attention to it.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP), developed by Pat Ogden, is a therapeutic modality that incorporates the body in the treatment of trauma and attachment/relational issues. You may have heard the phrase, “the body keeps the score,” taken from the title of Bessel Van Der Kolk’s well-known book. Our bodies remember and adapt to keep us safe. Returning to our breathing experiment, even how we breathe is a part of our story. If you learned to “hold it all in” and not feel emotion, you might also hold your breath when feeling distress. Using SP, clients can discover how their body currently functions and work with it to change patterns that currently interfere with health and well-being.
As a licensed professional counselor, I have completed extensive training in SP and other modalities that incorporate the whole person – mind, body and spirit. If you’re interested in a wholistic form of therapy, please contact me to schedule a session: Taking Root Counseling. For more information on Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, visit Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute.
“Human connection is the most vital aspect of our existence. Without the sweet touch of another being, we are lonely stars in an empty space waiting to shine gloriously.” ~Joe Straynge
Blog shared by our Founder, Jen Owen, N.P.
One of our core values at The Flourish Center is that “We believe that community is an essential ingredient for humans to thrive, and we strive to bring people together at our Center”.
And there’s research to back us up.
According to the CDC, “Social connectedness influences our minds, bodies, and behaviors—all of which influence our health and life expectancy. Research shows that social connectedness can lead to longer life, better health, and improved well-being”.
When you think about necessities for humans to survive, you probably think about food, water, air, and sleep. Feeling connected to other human beings is often forgotten.
In this day and age of technology it’s easier than ever to connect with human beings. Now we’re starting to miss out on being connected to other humans in their physical presence.
In the fabulous book, Belong, Radha Agrawal shares the following data:
~One in four American report that they have ZERO friends to confide in and discuss important matters with (and that was in 2006).
~One in three Americans over the age of sixty-five is socially isolated and the number goes up with age.
~Another study found that having weak social ties is as harmful to your health as being an alcoholic and twice as harmful as obesity.
~Yet another study found that isolation sets off a cellular chain reaction that increases inflammation and suppresses the body’s immune response to disease.
We are sick from loneliness!
In his book, Young Forever, Dr. Mark Hyman says, “Building community, creating belonging, nurturing relationships and support groups, even being in a knitting or bowling group, is associated with better health and longevity”.
He goes on to talk about how there’s even a new area of research called sociogenomics, which explains how our social and psychological environments influence our gene expression. “Loss of agency, rejection, loneliness, and social isolation impact our immune system, our hormones, and our gut”.
Basically we’re finding that social determinants of health, including community, relationships, stress, and sense of purpose and belonging, are just as important for your health as what you eat or how you move.
So, be sure to get out and be with people. Join a new group, attend a social hour, take a walk with a friend, simply enjoy human connection, because it’s a necessity!
To learn about connection opportunities at The Flourish Center, see our Events page.
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